Familyhistorian's ROOTs for 2022

The Laughing Men at Stanley Park

ROOTs Read in 2022

I'm going to keep the same goal as last year. I used to be able to manage quite a few ROOTs above that and I hope to again this year. Once again there is an offer on our strata so there may be a move in the offing. We'll see if this one goes through to completion.

Books acquired in 2022

Little Free Library

Books culled in 2022

January - 7

February - 0 (there's a fence around my usual LFL)

March - 7

April - 7

May - 6

June - 3

July - 2

August - 7

September - 0

October - 5

November - 7

Keeping everything crossed re the move, hope it works out this time!

I'm trying to remember if I went to Stanley Park when I went to Vancouver (it was 1995, so I can be forgiven for forgetting!). The name rings a bell. I definitely don't remember the Laughing Men though.

Welcome back and have a great reading year! I also hope it is far less eventful weather-wise for you this year. BC had quite enough to deal with in 2021 :-/

Welcome back! >1 Familyhistorian: very fun and >5 Familyhistorian: beautiful (is the LFL yours?)

>6 Jackie_K: All is forgiven, Jackie. You couldn't see what wasn't there. The statues weren't installed until 2009. Stanley Park is the large park in downtown Vancouver and definitely a tourist stop!

Re the move. I'll believe it when it happens. It seemed like such a good possibility the last time.

>7 rabbitprincess: I think BC deserves a less eventful weather year in 2022 for sure, RP. We're still dealing with the aftermath of last year's weather. It definitely felt like we were at the forefront of climate change with the heat dome, fires, flooding and now snow. We don't do snow well because we don't get it that often especially stuff that hangs around for over a week!

>8 detailmuse: Hi MJ, thanks re the photos. The LFL is in a local park, actually in the garden part of the park so I get to see lovely flowers while I deal with the LFL books.

Hi Meg! Strange that I did not say hello earlier. I've been reading your thread regularly.

So 'Hello'. I'm glad you are back for another year of ROOTing.

Hello Meg, that's an interesting installation in your topper. Good luck with your reading and all my best wishes for a calm year, weatherwise.

1. A Turn for the Bad by Sheila Connolly



My first ROOT for 2022 was one of the County Cork mysteries, A Turn for the Bad. This one was about smuggling and a family man who went missing. It was a good one.

>12 connie53: Good to see that you have been visiting, Connie, and even better than you popped in to say hello.

>13 MissWatson: Thanks Birgit, thanks re the topper and the weather. I'm hoping we're due a calm year here after the multiple disasters in 2021.

Hi Meg, good to see you here again, happy reading for 2022! I always enjoy your eclectic ROOTs, there’s usually a BB or two lying in wait!

>17 floremolla: I don't often get to my ROOTs but when I do, there is a large variety to pick from!

2. The Other Lady Vanishes by Amanda Quick



There are some ROOTs on my shelves that I want to read so much that I leave them there for a long time. I’m not sure why I do that. The Other Lady Vanishes was one of those books, a mystery/romance set in the 1930s. Once the first page was read I didn’t want to put it down.

>19 Familyhistorian: Perhaps you hate the idea of losing the feel of anticipation.

Greetings! I'm still adding my belated Happy New Years and good luck with your root goals messages on folks' threads. So here's yours!

>10 Familyhistorian: I think BC deserves a less eventful weather year in 2022 for sure, RP. We're still dealing with the aftermath of last year's weather. It definitely felt like we were at the forefront of climate change with the heat dome, fires, flooding and now snow. We don't do snow well because we don't get it that often especially stuff that hangs around for over a week!

So true, and now it's way over a week. I just shovelled and that was a waste of time. But next week it's supposed to be 8 degrees and back to rain.

>19 Familyhistorian: I do that too, and >20 connie53: that's probably why.

>20 connie53: I do hate losing the feeling of anticipation, Connie, but it means that I end up reading the less anticipated books on my shelves.

>21 rocketjk: Thanks. I hope you have a Happy New Year as well and good luck with your ROOTs!

>22 Nickelini: Yes, who'd have thought we'd be so happy to have rain! I'm eagerly waiting for all the white stuff to disappear.

>23 detailmuse: The problem is that sometimes you loose the feeling of anticipation while the book sits or often end up reading books that are just okay not the ones you really want to read.

3. Whispers at Midnight by Karen Robards



I rearranged one of my bookshelves to dust and found another ROOT to read, Whispers at Midnight. It was a fast read and looks like I picked it up second hand somewhere. Maybe I should do some more rearranging of the shelves once the must-read library holds are dealt with.

You are off to a fast start, Meg! The County Cork series intrigues me. I'll have to see if it's available at my library.

>29 rosalita: The series is a slow starter, Julia, but I was glad that I kept with it because this book was a good one.

>28 Familyhistorian: I rearrange on a regular basis, Meg. I sometimes find real gems that I forgot about.

I need to rearrange my shelves. I have quite a few that are double-shelved, and I try to have the ones I'm still to read more easily to hand. But then when I finish them I put them back on the front, so now it's all mixed up read/unread again.

>31 connie53: Most of my rearranging happens when I'm looking for a particular book, Connie, so it's a bit hit and miss especially in the shelves that are three deep.

>32 Jackie_K: I have particular places to put the read fiction that I want to keep, all else goes to used book shops or to the LFL. My nonfiction is all mixed in read and non read but there most of the nonfiction has not been read so it's not a problem yet. Good like getting your shelves back in good order, Jackie.

I managed to have single rows. And my read and unread books are on different shelves. All alphabetically. When I need more spaces I just claim other shelves. With Peet not living here anymore I can use some of the spaces he used for clothes, that have moved to the room he has in the care home.

>35 connie53: You have room to expand, Connie. That can be dangerous. I put a lot of my books in my walk in closet which has lots of shelves but some of them started to sag from the weight so I had to move things around.

>36 Familyhistorian: Very dangerous indeed. I claimed some small shelves yesterday. And today I will move the books and have some rearranging done. ;-))

>37 connie53: I hope they are sturdy small shelves, Connie. Enjoy your rearranging.

I tend to rearrange shelves when I've bought new books and am trying to find a spot for them :)

>39 rabbitprincess: I'm a bit beyond the stage of being able to find new books spots on the shelves so the only rearranging is of some stacks of books that keep getting higher. I envy you being able to find them shelf space, RP!

>40 Familyhistorian: I have a big bag full of books that are intended to be donated. As soon as I finish a book and know for sure I'll never read it again, it goes in the donation bag. I also end up lending books to my mum, so that frees up shelf space as well.

>41 rabbitprincess: Good strategy, RP. I put most of my books I will never read again into the local Little Free Library but my problem is that I buy more books than I read because of my library habit.

4. Written Off by E.J. Copperman



Written Off was a book I stumbled upon when rearranging shelves. It was an interesting murder mystery and touted as the first in a new series. Not sure from an online search if the series will go beyond two books.

5. Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore



Portrait of a Scotsman was an historical romance about a woman forced into marriage by stifling conventions. It all ended happily, of course.

6. The Devil's Half Mile by Paddy Hirsch



I indulged my taste for historical fiction by reading The Devil’s Half Mile, a story about New York in 1799 at a time when it was mostly villages which would grow into a mega city. It was also about the stock market in its early days when its practices were questionable at best.

>14 Familyhistorian: I've read several of Sheila Connolly's books and have several on my wishlist. So sad she is no longer with us.

>32 Jackie_K: I actually cataloged mine and shelve them according to genre and read or unread. So once I read them, they move to another shelf. Somehow the to be read shelves are still full, I can't understand that. LOL

7. Canada's Odyssey: A Country Based on Incomplete Conquests by Peter H. Russell



My personal library has a sections for books about the histories of different places one of which is Canada. I read one of the books from this section in January, Canada’s Odyssey: A Country Based on Incomplete Conquests. It told the history of the country from prior to confederation to the present day (about 2017) from a political point of view.

>46 cyderry: I had no idea that Sheila Connolly was no longer with us. Thanks for letting me know.

>47 cyderry: It's funny how they keep multiplying, isn't it?

8. Jade Dragon Mountain by Elsa Hart



My last ROOT for the month was a mystery with a difference. Jade Dragon Mountain was set in the early 1700s in a place in the outskirts of the Chinese Empire. It was fun exploring this different place and culture and the mystery was very much related to the setting.

>50 Familyhistorian: Oh, that looks fascinating!

>50 Familyhistorian: I like the look of this - a BB for me :)

>51 MissWatson: It was a different setting, for sure!

>52 floremolla: I hope you enjoy it!

I'm a bit late with my January acquisitions but better late than never. I picked up the following last month:

The Hidden Wife by Joanna Rees
Forgotten in Death by J.D. Robb
The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After by Julia Quinn
Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by T.A. Willberg
The Red Cross Orphans by Glynis Peters
Our Kind of People by Carol Wallace
East of Houndslow by Khurrum Rahman
Romancing the Beat: Story Structure for Romance Novels by Gwen Hayes
The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lojos Egri
I had my Underwear on the Entire Time: A Memoir of Discovering Family through Genetic Genealogy by Michael and Amy Blair

(These are all physical books although I could only finding e-book listings for two of them)

>54 Familyhistorian: Wow! Nice haul. I'm wondering where you get your books from. I ask because I find book stores in the Vancouver area are kinda sad. Other than Chapters, there isn't much in the way of brick and mortar stores.

>55 Nickelini: Some of those books came from Chapters and some from Amazon. There is a good independent bookshop in Port Coquitlam, Western Sky Books, where I sometimes pick up books.

>56 Familyhistorian: Oh, I don't know Western Sky Books. I'll have to look them up

>57 Nickelini: Western Sky has mostly used books and you can check out what they have online.

Excellent haul! :)

>59 Jackie_K: It was hard finding a place for them, Jackie. I need to start reading more of my own books.

>60 Familyhistorian: I think there is a group for people with that wish around here… ;-)

>61 Henrik_Madsen: Yes and I've been a member for years but still my piles of ROOTs grow!

9. A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn



I’m reading but falling behind in posting about my reads. One of them was a ROOT. A Dangerous Collaboration was the fourth book in the Veronica Speedwell mysteries, a fun and adventurous series set in the Victorian era. This one was no exception.

10. The Black Country by Alex Grecian



My ROOT reading seems to be slowing down this month. I fit in The Black Country, the second in the Scotland Yard Murder Squad series. This one was set in a mining village in the Midlands, so a bit off the beaten track. It took the detective out of their comfort zone and was an interesting picture of an historic way of life.

11. The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths



It’s been a long time since I read a book in the Ruth Galloway series. I’d stalled part way. It was good to get back to the regular characters in The Ghost Fields and see what was happening in their lives.

Just to keep my acquisitions straight for 2022, I didn't list the books I got for Santa Thing. They came in January. Not too bad. One year I got my Santa Thing books in March. The three I received were:

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Lovely War by Julie Berry

My February acquisitions were:

The Wicked Widow by Beatriz Williams
No Time Like the Future by Michael J. Fox
Abandoned in Death by J.D. Robb
The Verifiers by Jane Pek
November Rain by Maureen Jennings
Dominion: The History of England from the Battle of Waterloo to Victoria's Diamond Jubilee by Peter Ackroyd
Captives in Blue by Roger Pickenpaugh

12. The Final Silence by Stuart Neville



I was away from home for a night and plucked a book from my shelves to take with me. Once I started it I had to finish quickly because it drew me in. The Final Silence was a mystery thriller set in modern day Belfast but, of course, some of the characters’ troubles had links to the past.

13. To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters



I liked the cover of To Have and to Hoax and I’m not sure why it grew ROOTs in my book stacks. It was a fun historical romance about a couple who married young and had a fight that pushed them into opposite corners soon after. As the story begins, they don’t have much to do with each other but that’s all about to change.

14. In Five Years by Rebecca Serle



I’ve been reading a lot more ROOTs this month but I’m behind in posting them. In Five Years was a compelling read that kept me turning the pages. The main character, tried to keep all the people around her doing the right thing including herself, even if it didn’t really fulfill their dreams.

15. Fortune Favors the Dead



I was on a WWII kick when I went for a trip last summer. We hit a few bookshops in Victoria and I ended up with a bunch of interesting reads. Fortune Favors the Dead was a mystery set in NYC just after the end of the war. It’s the first in what appears to be a fun series.

16. The Other Side of Midnight by Simone St. James



I’ve been picking up books off my own shelves more than usual this month. This time it was a mystery set in the time between the wars, a heyday for psychics as so many young men had died in the conflict leaving so many relatives seeking ways to contact them. Only why had a well-known medium been murdered? It was up to her one time friend and fellow psychic to find out in The Other Side of Midnight.

17. The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton



I’m not sure where I picked up The Miniaturist, but it looks like it is second hand and I know it has been on my shelves for a long while. It took me some time to read the story but it was interesting once I got into it.

18. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig



My next ROOT was a much faster read. I found it hard to put down The Secret of the Pink Carnation, a fun historic romance.

>73 Familyhistorian: That one's on my virtual shelf - I'd heard lots about it, and think I got it via a Bookbub deal. One of these days the Jar of Fate will deal it out to me :)

>75 Jackie_K: No hurry, Jackie. It took me a while to get into it. I believe it was quite popular when it first came out.

19. Agents of Influence: A British Campaign, a Canadian Spy, and the Secret Plot to Bring America into World War II



I have a collection of WWII books on my shelves. I use many of them in my family history research. Unfortunately, a lot of them are unread but I did pull Agents of Influence: A British Campaign, a Canadian Spy, and the Secret Plot to Bring America into World War II. It was a very interesting read.

>77 Familyhistorian: Glad you liked it! It's on my to-read list.

>78 rabbitprincess: It's a good one. RP. I had read about Camp X and Canadian women being sent to NYC to act as secretaries as they were thought to be more sympathetic to the Allied cause. This book gave me a better idea of what was going on behind the scenes.

>67 Familyhistorian: Hope you enjoy the Michael J Fox memoir. I did -- I'm inspired by his optimism and gratitude despite his obstacles. A family member has Parkinson's, and last year I enrolled in the Fox Foundation's long-term research study to learn more about who does/doesn't develop it.

>80 detailmuse: Thanks MJ. I'd been eyeing the Fox memoir for a while. I'm sorry to hear that there's Parkinson's in your family.

>67 Familyhistorian: Have you read Michael J Fox's earlier memoirs? I really enjoyed his first one, and I've owned Always Looking Up for years but haven't cracked it open yet. Not sure why.

>69 Familyhistorian: To Have and To Hoax has a real Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth and Darcy look to it that makes me expect it to be a "hate to love" story. Would you describe it that way?

>73 Familyhistorian: I've always loved the covers for The Miniaturist but I don't know much about the book itself. Do you think I should take a chance on it next time I see a copy?

>82 Nickelini: I haven't read any of Michael J Fox's other memoirs. I'm not sure that I knew about them, to be honest.

As the couple in To Have and To Hoax were already married, I wouldn't say that the tale was a retelling of Pride and Prejudice. I think you'll find it has a different dynamic.

I appreciated learning about Amsterdam in the 17th century when reading The Miniaturist but it really wasn't my kind of story but perhaps it would be yours.

>83 Familyhistorian: Thanks for answering my questions. I felt like a bit of a demanding quiz master but it was truly out of interest in your reading ;-)

>84 Nickelini: No problem. You did make me think though.

20. The Victorian and the Romantic: a memoir, a love story, and a friendship across time by Nell Stevens



My next ROOT was part memoir and part history. The Victorian and the Romantic was an interesting way of presenting a person in history by relating the novelist Elizabeth Gaskell’s experiences to those of the writer in the present day.

>86 Familyhistorian: This has me very intrigued! Do you think it's necessary to be familiar with Gaskell's work first?

>87 Caramellunacy: I wasn't familiar with Gaskell's work at all when I read the book. It was a good introduction to her work and the fall out after she wrote a biography of Charlotte Bronte. I didn't know about the biography either before reading Nell Stevens' book.

21. The Fallen Architect by Charles Belfoure



In a book set in early 20th century England, The Fallen Architect explored both the world of privilege and that of the music hall in an interesting mystery.

22. Death of an Avid Reader by Frances Brody



The historical mysteries are going down easy. Death of an Avid Reader was set in England just after WWI and was a good read.

23. Murder By Matchlight by E.C.R. Lorac



My next murder mystery was of a slightly later date. Murder by Matchlight was set during WWII when the Blitz made picking up a new identity easier for the unscrupulous. That figured into this classic mystery.

Posted on the wrong thread.

24. Death Wears a Mask by Ashley Weaver



My next ROOT was another historical mystery, one of the Amory Ames series which I’m actually reading in order. Death Wears a Mask was another good entry in the series.

25. Who Buries the Dead by C.S. Harris



When I started reading the St. Cyr series I made sure that I had a run of the books that would keep me going for a while. It’s taken me longer than I thought because I stalled somewhere along the way. I just finished the tenth in the series Who Buries the Dead and it reminded me how much I enjoy these books.

26. Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead



We’re not that far into the month and I’ve already got six ROOTs done. That’s probably a good thing because I just brought a stack of holds home from the library. The sixth Root was Harlem Shuffle which was a bit of a disappointment after the last two award winning books from the author.

>95 Familyhistorian: Six ROOTs already, that's amazing. You deserve a few library books now.

>96 MissWatson: I've been reading library books as well because I need to get them back to the library for the readers who are waiting for them. The ROOTs are beckoning though.

27. Someone to Romance by Mary Balogh



My reading was slowing down so I looked for a quicker read among my ROOTs. Someone to Romance was an historic romance, part of a series. I read it through quickly and have one more ROOT for the month.

I forgot to post my March acquisitions. Better late than never.

One Dance with a Duke by Tessa Dare
Story Trumps Structure by Steven James
The Anatomy of Story by John Truby
The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman
Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
Lady Violet Investigates by Grace Burrowes
Lady Violet Attends a Wedding by Grace Burrowes
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder
The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter by Hazel Gaynor
Home Sweet Homicide by Craig Rice
Colored People by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
Edge of the Grave by Robbie Morrison

Yay, Home Sweet Homicide was fun! And Edge of the Grave looks fab.

>100 rabbitprincess: I know I caught those as BBs somewhere, RP. I'm looking forward to reading them.

28. Road through Time: The Story of Humanity on the Move by Mary Soderstrom



Road Through Time: The Story of Humanity on the Move was a ROOT from my non-fiction shelves. It was part memoir and part deep history of the movement of people through time. It was well written and thought provoking.

29. Radio Girls by Sarah-Jane Stratford



My next ROOT was the historical novel, Radio Girls. It was set in London between the wars when BBC radio was in its infancy. It was an adventure story that included some of the personalities of the time as well as fictional characters.

>103 Familyhistorian: I really enjoyed that one!

>104 rosalita: It was good, Julia. It's great to learn history while enjoying a story.

30. A Deceptive Devotion by Iona Whishaw



One last ROOT to report for the month. A Deceptive Devotion was the sixth book in the Lane Winslow series. Lane was once again in BC with a mystery dumped in her lap which had links to her past. The mystery was good and it was interesting to see how relationships had developed between the characters.

31. The War Against Miss Winter by Kathryn Miller Haines



During last year’s visit to Victoria I picked up a number of books set in WWII. The War Against Miss Winter was one of them. It was a serviceable mystery.

I almost forgot to post my acquisitions for April. They were:

The Nazis and the Occult by Paul Roland
The Runaway Heiress by Meg Tilly
The Lady has a Past by Amanda Quick
Women in White Coats: How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine by Olivia Campbell
Love, Hate & Clickbait by Liz Bowery

32. Fool's Puzzle by Earlene Fowler



The cover of Fool’s Puzzle caught my eye on the shelf so I decided to read it. The mystery was a bit dated but good for all that.

33. Tight Rope



Tight Rope was one of a series set in ‘50s Burning Cove, a playground of the rich and wannabes close to Hollywood. It was a fun historical mystery/romance.

(waves Hi) Looks like enjoyable reading + good Rooting progress!

>111 detailmuse: (waving back) It was a fun read. The ROOTs are going down easy lately. Hope they are for you too.

34. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate



Told in two different time periods, Before We Were Yours was a fictional work based on nefarious adoption practices in the past. It was an interesting story that brought this episode of history to life.

35. Fall of Angels by Barbara Cleverly



I have books from a number of series on my shelves including some series I haven’t even started yet. Fall of Angels was a new mystery series by Barbara Cleverly. I enjoyed the view of post WWI Cambridge as I puzzled along with Detective Redfyre in this one.

36. Hitlerland: American Eyewitnesses to the Nazi Rise to Power by Andrew Nagorski



I have many books about the World Wars, most of them gathering dust although those wars are of particular interest. I usually look for books which are written for Canadian or British readers but in the case of Hitlerland: American Eyewitnesses to the Nazi Rise to Power I made an exception and I was glad I did.

Acquisitions for May 2022

Framed in Fire by Iona Whishaw
The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray

The numbers are going down. I might get a handle on my book stacks yet!

>116 Familyhistorian: Well done on the numbers!

>117 Jackie_K: Thanks Jackie, that was a good month. I made up for it today when I visited a used book store and picked up 5 more books.

Hi Meg. I've been neglecting the ROOTers for some time (again). Live, sunny days, babysitting the grandkids and doing volunteer work for the library at Lonne's school. And reading of course. Today is a rainy day with some thunderstrokes. A perfect Sunday for reading al those neglected threads.

Good to see you passed the halfway-point and your ROOting is still going strong.

>118 Familyhistorian: That has happened to me on several occasions. There is this bookstore near my hairdresser and my son's house called 'De kleine tovenaar' (The little wizard). It's a children's bookstore but they have a section for grown ups and young adult too. I can't keep out when I'm in the neighbourhood and always leave with a few new books.

>119 connie53: You are lucky in your weather, Connie. We have had mostly rainy cold weather for the last couple of months so our sunny days are the ones that allow us a change to get outside and not get wet.

It's funny how readers tend to find bookshops that become part of their visits to particular places. I do that too. Bakeries are also on that list.

37. Not in the Flesh by Ruth Rendell



It has been a long time since I read a Wexford novel. Not in the Flesh was a good reminder of why I like this series. I quite enjoyed this book although it felt a bit dated.

38. Kindred by Steve Robinson



I enjoy mysteries especially those in the subgenre of genealogical mysteries. I recently read Kindred the fifth in the Jefferson Tayte series. This time the historical mystery went back to Nazi Germany which created challenges for genealogical research and the solution of the mystery.

39. The Painted Queen by Elizabeth Peters and Joan Hess



Another mystery off my shelves, this time it was The Painted Queen. It was the last Amelia Peabody mystery and the first I had read. I suppose I shouldn’t have started at the end.

>123 Familyhistorian: I am very fond of the Amelia Peabody mysteries, but agree - starting at the end isn't the best entry point (esp. since that particular novel was left unfinished). If you do decide to visit with the Emersons again, Crocodile on the Sandbank always delights me :)

>124 Caramellunacy: Thanks for that pointer. Is it the first book in the series?

>125 Familyhistorian: Yes, that one's first

>126 Caramellunacy: Thanks, good to know. I'll put it on my TBR list.

40. The Stanforth Secrets by Jo Beverley



I believe that The Stanforth Secrets was a reissue of an older Regency romance. It’s slimmer than most these days but long enough to fit in all the usual tropes for a satisfying read.

41. You Wouldn't Want to be a Civil War Soldier by Thomas Ratliff



I find that you can learn a lot about an event by reading a children’s book about the subject. That was true about You Wouldn't Want to be a Civil War Soldier, part of my collection on the US Civil War.

42. The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease by Daniel E. Lieberman



A nonfiction book from my shelves proved very interesting reading. I can recommend The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease.

43. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

I don’t usually read ghost/horror stories but I’d heard of The Woman in Black so picked it up a while back. It was a good fast read.

(Not included in June ROOTs stats yet) as I’m on the road.

>130 Familyhistorian: It motivated me toward a healthier lifestyle -- the mismatches between how we evolved to be, biologically, and now how we mess that up with cultural lifestyles. I'm glad your post reminded me of it.

>132 detailmuse: I can see how that would happen. It made me realize I wasn’t getting enough sleep and should do something about it.

>133 Familyhistorian: ooh, not to add to your TBRs...but Matthew Walker's Why We Sleep is fascinating and motivating.

>134 detailmuse: That sounds like good one. I’ll have to have a look for it.

44. Killer Pancake by Diane Mott Davidson

A light read for my travels, Killer Pancake was a mystery based on make up and the competitive cosmetics industry.

45. The Scoundrel’s Daughter by Anne Gracie

A fun historical romance, The Scoundrel’s Daughter told the tale of not just one couple but two as both a young and more mature couple became interested in each other.

46. A Most Novel Revenge by Ashley Weaver



Ah, the luxury of choice. I’m no longer on the road so chose a ROOT from my shelves. A Most Novel Revenge was the third instalment in the Amory Ames mystery series. I like this series which is set in the stylish ‘30s with a sleuthing couple who are not always on the same page.

47. The Billionaire Murders: The Mysterious Deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman by Kevin Donovan



Books about true crime often catch my eye but then languish on my shelves. They come in handy to meet challenges though which is why I picked up The Billionaire Murders: The Mysterious Deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman. The murders of the Shermans were recent and puzzling. They have not yet been solved.

48. The Perks of Loving a Wallflower by Erica Ridley



A historical romance with a difference, The Perks of Loving a Wallflower featured two women as the romantic couple. It was a fun romp with a message.

Before I forget, here are my July acquisitions. Some I picked up in Scotland, some in airports and some after I got home.

Sharpe’s Assassin by Bernard Cornwell
The Picts by Tim Clarkson
Land by Simon Winchester
The Poor Had No Lawyers by Andy Wightman
Black Drop by Leonora Nattrass
Death of a Bookseller by Bernard J. Farmer
The Female Detective by Andrew Forrester
Scotland the Best: The Islands by Peter Irvine
A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin
Land of the Ilich: Journeys into Islay's Past by Stephen Mithen
You Were Made to Be Mine by Julie Anne Long

49. A Girl Called Justice: The Smuggler's Secret by Elly Griffiths



The library holds are coming in quickly but I was able to pull a few quick reads off my own shelves. A Girl Called Justice: The Smuggler’s Secret was a YA mystery and a good one involving girls in a boarding school, teachers who were not all that they seemed and a smuggler’s secret.

50. Lady Violet Investigates by Grace Burrowes



Another slim mystery among my stacks was Lady Violet Investigates. It was a combination of regency romance and mannered mystery whose main action takes place during a country house party.

51. One Dance with a Duke by Tessa Dare



With all of the reads that I was juggling, I wanted a story that would draw me in. I found that it One Dance with a Duke.

52. Fiction Can Be Murder by Becky Clark



I picked up Fiction Can Be Murder in 2019. I know this because I bought it at the Left Coast Crime conference when it was in Vancouver. I’m not sure how it stayed unread on my shelves for so long but can now report that I read and liked it. It’s also the first book in a series and my library has the next book.

>145 Familyhistorian: That sounds fun - I'm glad you enjoyed it.

>146 Caramellunacy: It was a good one and I love a good mystery!

53. The Bulldog and the Helix: DNA and the Pursuit of Justice in a Frontier Town by Shayne Morrow



I pulled a book from my true crime shelf and read The Bulldog and the Helix: DNA and the Pursuit of Justice in a Frontier Town. It was an interesting look at the investigation of two crimes in small town BC and how DNA came to be used as a tool in their investigation.

54. Lady Violet Attends a Wedding by Grace Burrowes



It didn’t take me long to pick up the next book in the Lady Violet series. Lady Violet Attend a Wedding was another page turner of a mystery.

55. A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier



This is one of my August ROOTs but time got away from me before I posted my write up. A Single Thread was an historic novel focusing on the life of a woman, Violet, struggling to make a life for herself in England as one of the women left single after WWI.

Before the month gets away from me I'm going to post my August acquisitions. They are:

While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams
The Last Dress from Paris by Jade Beer
All Signs Point to Paris by Natasha Sizlo
Lady Violet Finds a Bridegroom by Grace Burrowes
Lady Violet Enjoys a Frolic by Grace Burrowes
Lady Violet Holds a Baby by Grace Burrowes
Lady Violet Goes for a Gallop by Grace Burrowes
Dress Codes: How the Laws of Fashion Made History by Richard Thompson Ford
Murder 101 by Richard Boyer
Conviction by Denise Mina
Blueprint: How DNA Makes Us Who We Are by Robert Plomin
Ticket to Ride by Winona Kent
A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong

Hi Meg, finally visiting your thread and catching up with your live and books.

Nice haul!

>150 Familyhistorian: Something goes wrong with the second link to your book. It takes me to the same title but different writer.

>152 connie53: Good to have you visit, Connie. Thanks for pointing out the link was wrong.

56. The Library of Lost and Found by Pheadra Patrick



I probably picked up The Library of Lost and Found because of the title. It was an interesting story of a woman finding herself after years of living along and being taken for granted by those around her.

I've fallen behind a bit on posting my ROOTs so there will be more books posted about in the few days left at the end of this month. I just got back from a cruise to Alaska so I'm sticking close to home to see if I come down with the dreaded plague, a perfect reason to spend more time on LT.

57. The Babes in the Wood by Ruth Rendell



I pulled a CI Wexford novel off my shelves for a read through, The Babes in the Wood. It had been a while since I read one of the mysteries in this series and I was drawn in once again.

58. The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah



The Monogram Murders sat on my shelves for quite a while before I picked it up. Maybe I should have left it where it was or maybe I was not in the mood for it when I started to turn the pages.

59. Quite Ugly One Morning by Christopher Brookmyre



My next mystery held my attention much better. Quite Ugly One Morning was the first book in the Jack Parablane series. It was a fast moving mystery with a sense of humour set in Scotland.

60. Brigham Young: A Concise Biography of the Mormon Moses by Ed Breslin



As someone who researches my family history, I knew a bit about the LDS church but Brigham Young: A Concise Biography of the Mormon Moses told me a lot more about the early history of the Mormons. It was an interesting read.

My book haul for September:

The Water's Lovely by Ruth Rendell
Home Grown Hero by Khurrum Rahman
Corpus by Rory Clements
Generals died in bed by Charles Yale Harrison
The Viking Heart by Arthur Herman
Nemesis by Rory Clements
The Thread Collectors by Shaunna J. Edwards and Alyson Richman
Danger Point by Patricia Wentworth
Mindful of Murder by Susan Juby

>155 Familyhistorian: A cruise to Alaska sounds great and reason enough to neglect your ROOT mentioning, Meg.
I hope the plague didn't get to you!

>161 connie53: Thanks Connie. The trip to Alaska was fun and I didn't come down with the plague but many of the people I travelled with did.

>162 Familyhistorian: A friend of mine is just back from a Caribbean cruise, and just recovering from covid19 as a result of it. I'd love to see both the Caribbean and the Alaskan coast, but I'm still wary of being in such an enclosed environment as a ship.

>163 Jackie_K: I was travelling with a large group of genealogists and many of them came ended up testing positive after the cruise was over. I'd give it a while yet before signing up for a cruise, Jackie. I went on this one as it was a celebration of my genealogy society's 50th anniversary and had been postponed from last year.

>163 Jackie_K: and >164 Familyhistorian: Since Corona is on the uprise again (here too) I would be very reluctant to travel anywhere in the colder months. I was on the train yesterday and there was a lot of coughing and sneezing going on. I think I will start using a mask again next time I'm on public transportation.

>165 connie53: Wearing a mask is probably a smart idea, Connie. We've been wearing them for the past two years so weren't exposed to as much sickness as normal so didn't build up any immunity to the latest illness going around. When I was in Scotland I ended up with a cold and nasty cough which rarely happens to me.

61. An Unkindness of Ravens by Ruth Rendell



I pulled another mystery from my own shelves, An Unkindness of Ravens. This was another Ruth Rendell mystery featuring Chief Inspector Wexford. It kept me guessing until near the end of the book.

62. I'm Only Wicked with You by Julie Anne Long



I like the historic romances written by Julie Anne Long. The latest book I read by her, I'm Only Wicked with You, had just barely grown ROOTs (bought last year) when I pulled it off the shelf. It was a fun one.

63. The Other Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn



When I look at the reads on my ROOTs thread, it looks like I’m reading a lot of mysteries and romances but I’m interspersing them with library reads. Those library books are sometimes a challenge to get through so I feel the need for something quick to read to prove that I can still finish something. I read The Other Miss Bridgerton, which was billed as a prequel and featured Poppy Bridgerton, while also reading The Story of China – the country not the tableware. The Bridgerton book was a fast read about a woman kidnapped away to sea and a ship’s captain who was more than he seemed.

64. I Had My Underwear on the Entire Time by Michael & Amy Blair



I pulled I Had My Underwear on the Entire Time from my genealogy shelf. This was about a search for the male writer’s biological father. It was a journey made possible through DNA matches but one that didn’t turn out in a picture perfect way.

I acquired a few more books than usual in October. That was because I found a new-to-me second hand bookshop, attended the Vancouver Writers Festival and the Surrey International Writers Conference.

The books are:
The Sweetness of Forgetting by Kristin Harmel
A Peculiar Combination by Ashley Weaver
Tell It Slant: Creating, Refining, and Publishing Creative Nonfiction by Brenda Miller and Suzanne Paola
The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal
Build Better Characters by Eileen Cook
Spirited by Julie Cohen
The Woo Woo by Lindsay Wong
Building Believable Characters by Marc McCutcheon
Hitler's Girl: The British Aristocracy and the Third Reich on the Eve of WWII by Lauren Young
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
A Dreadful Splendour by B.R. Myers
The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
Through London's Highways by Walter Jerrold
Murder Under Her Skin by Stephen Spotswood
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
Grave Mistake by Ngaio Marsh
Old Lombard Street
The Story of an English Village by John S. Goodall

>171 Familyhistorian: Nice haul! I've put Tell It Slant on my wishlist.

(actually, scrub that. I've just bought it! In my random rules, as it has lots of writing prompts I'm not counting it as a ROOT).

>171 Familyhistorian: I missed the Vancouver Writers Festival this year. Who did you see?

>169 Familyhistorian: to prove that I can still finish something
Oh I hear you!

I'm interested in The Jungle, but wading through the editions online is daunting. Might resort to a vetted edition from the library.

>172 Jackie_K: I like your ROOTs rules, Jackie. It's probably close to my own rules when I think about it though. I would use Tell it Slant as more of a resource. My ROOTs tend to be books that you read from one cover to the other and then can move along (although that does happen as often as it probably should).

>173 Nickelini: I didn't see many events at the Vancouver Writers Fest. It happens the exact same time as Surrey International Writers Conference every year, which drives me crazy. I saw a talk with Tilar J. Mazzeo. Her latest book is Sisters in Resistance which sounded very interesting.

I also went to the tea on Sunday. That event was hosted by Tamara Taggaret and authors read from their works for us: Noor Naga from If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English; Danny Ramadan from The Foghorn Echoes; Adriana Barton from Wired for Music; Wayne Johnston from Jennie's Boy; Reema Patel from Such Big Dreams; Eliza Reid from Secrets of the Sprakkar.

I was sitting at a table with three other women and they all bought the book about music. I'm interested in Eliza Reid's book. She's the First Lady of Iceland and the book is about how the women of Iceland are changing things for women in the world.

>174 detailmuse: I found the copy of The Jungle in the new-to-me second hand book store so I had to pick it up. There was only one copy and no multiple editions to wade through, which made it easier. Borrowing it from the library sounds easiest!

>176 Familyhistorian: Interesting! How fun

>178 Nickelini: You should take in the tea next year, if you can. It was fun, although actually getting a cup of tea was a challenge!

65. The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffith



It’s been a while since I read a Ruth Galloway mystery. It was good to get back to the story and revisit with the characters in The Woman in Blue. The mystery was good too.

>175 Familyhistorian: Yes, that's pretty much my system too (although I'm less good on the whole moving on bit - I tend to think of ROOTs as books I'd read from cover to cover and then keep to possibly read again (hahahaha), or move on if I didn't like it).

>181 Jackie_K: The moving along part is hard, isn't it? But it really needs to be done. Somehow the amount of acquisitions always ends up to be more than the books that leave. I tend to read a lot of library books too, which doesn't help.

66. Really the Blues by Joseph Koenig



Sometimes I pull books off my shelves to meet challenges. I try to make sure they are ROOTs. Really the Blues fit a theme. It was about an American Jazz musician living in Paris during WWII. It took me a while to read it.

67. Rooted in Evil by Ann Granger



I follow a few of Ann Granger’s mystery series. I delve into them rather than read them in strict order. The latest I read from her Campbell and Carter series was Rooted in Evil. A man’s body was found in the woods close to where his stepsister lived. To solve the case, Jess Campbell and Ian Carter had a lot of back history and obfuscation to wade through.

Congratulations on reaching your goal!

>180 Familyhistorian: I missed that you met your goal! Congratulations!

Congratulations on goal!

>185 MissWatson: >186 rabbitprincess: >187 detailmuse: Thank you all! I couldn't have done it without the inspiration of my fellow ROOTers.

68. Crazy for You by Jennifer Crusie



I’m not sure how long Crazy for You has been on my shelves. It was in the back row of a double row of books on the shelves. It was a fast, if a bit dark, read.

69. Without the Moon by Cathi Unsworth



I pulled Without the Moon from my stack of WWII books. It was a good one, a thriller more than a mystery, showing a police detective tracking a killers through the streets of wartime London.

70. The Runaway Heiress by Meg Tilly



I pulled another thriller from my shelves, this time one with romance in the mix, The Runaway Heiress. It was another fast read.

>191 Familyhistorian: how is Meg Tilly as a writer? I was never a fan of her as an actress. Does she set her books in BC?

>192 Nickelini: Actually, she’s a good writer. I was surprised. The book was set in LA and New York.

71. Trent's Last Case by E.C. Bentley



I have a small collection of classic mysteries. Trent’s Last Case was one of these and held my attention with an interesting mystery.

72. Deadly Love by B.D. Joyce



I’m trying to move some of my books along, especially those which have long ROOTs. Among those are the Francesca Cahill series. I read a few of them before but just collected the rest. My latest read in the series was the first book, Deadly Love. Now to fit in the next one soon.

I was away for the end of November and beginning of December so haven't updated my new books for November. They are:

The Cloisters by Katy Hays
The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey by Serena Burdick
The Missing Man by Nathan Dylan Goodwin
The Sterling Affair by Nathan Dylan Goodwin
The Wicked Trade and The Suffragette's Secret by Nathan Dylan Goodwin

I'm a bit late but just noticed you hit your goal in November, excellent work there! :)

>197 Jackie_K: Thanks, Jackie. I'm actually far beyond my goal now but just got back from a trip which put me behind on posting my ROOTs but not on reading them.

73. Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by T.A. Willberg



I took a few of my ROOTs on vacation. Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder was a fun and fantastic mystery read.

74. Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell



Another beach read was Murder as a Fine Art. It was an interesting blend of fiction and history used to tell a mystery set in Victorian London.

75. The Necklace by Claire McMillan



The Necklace was a family saga told through two timelines, one in the Jazz Age and one in present day. It was an interesting story.

76. The Egyptian Antiquities Murder by Sara Rosett



LT is a dangerous place for someone who can’t pass a bookshop without having a peak. The Egyptian Antiquities Murder made its way into my ROOTs shelves due to an LT review. It was a fun mystery that had me thinking I should read more of this series.

>202 Familyhistorian: this looks like bait under one of those boxes held up by sticks traps...

>203 Caramellunacy: It doesn't take much to reel us in, does it?

77. You Were Made to Be Mine by Julie Anne Long



The ROOTs are going down easy at the end of the year, especially when I grab an historical romance from my shelves. This time it was You Were Made to Be Mine, a tale which combined a wronged spy (on the right side of course), a disguised young lady fleeing France and a corrupt lord trying to feather his nest by nefarious means during the time when Napoleon and terror ruled in France.

78. The Runaway Daughter by Joanna Rees



The ROOTs are going down easy at the end of the year. The Runaway Daughter was an interesting novel about 1920s England with a focus on class consciousness and the dance halls of London.

79. Death of a Ghost by Margery Allingham



Death of a Ghost has languished on my shelves for a while. It was an Albert Campion mystery centred around artists and an artistic temperament taken to the nth degree.

80. The Coniston Case by Rebecca Tope



I’d read mysteries by Rebecca Tope before, but none from her English Country mystery series. The Coniston Case was my first introduction to the florist/sleuth Simmy Brown. I enjoyed the cast of characters in this outing. The mystery was good too.

81. Close Up by Amanda Quick



I liked the Amanda Quick books rooted in the Victorian era but the latest ones in a 1930s California touched by the glamour of Hollywood revel in the glitzy and glamour and the shady underbelly. My latest read in the series, Close Up was a fun read.

82. The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson



I’m not sure why The Summer Before the War, grew ROOTs on my shelves. I enjoy historical novels about England particularly those around the war years. The war in this case was WWI. It was a good read.

Hi Meg, so sorry I did not visit your thread sooner. As you might know I was busy with family things and had a bit of a reading-slump.

But now I'm trying to catch up and visiting all threads that have new posts (a lot)

I want to wish you all the best for you and yours for 2023 and Happy Holidays! See you in 2023.

>211 connie53: No need to apologize, Connie. I've been neglecting the threads this year more than ever. All the best for the holidays to you and yours and best wishes for the New Year.

83. Black River Road by Debra Komar



From my own shelves, I pulled a true crime story, Black River Road. It was an interesting case from New Brunswick’s history.

84. The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs



My last ROOT for 2022 was The Lost and Found Bookshop. It was a feel good story about an old bookshop in San Francisco and the daughter who had to take over her mother’s store. It turned out that it was one of the best things that could have happened to her.

The last day of December seems like the perfect time to fess up to my acquisitions for the month.

Alfred Hitchcock: The Master of Suspense by Noel Simsolo and Dominique He
Love Like Blood by Mark Billingham
The Twist of the Knife by Anthony Horowitz
The Hotel on Place Vendome by Tilar J. Mazzeo (bought after hearing her speak at the Vancouver Writers Festival)
The Devil to Pay by Liz Carlyle
Gabriel: Lord of Regrets by Grace Burrowes
The Duke's Disaster by Grace Burrowes (there were romance novels three for a dollar in the gift shop beside the library - what could I do?)
Gilded Mountain by Kate Manning - Santa Thing book
Bars Fight by Lucy Terry Prince - Santa Thing book
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
The Crofter and the Laird by John McPhee
The First Kingdome: Britain in the Age of Arthur by Max Adams

>215 Familyhistorian: If it's any consolation, your December acquisitions are less than half of mine! Happy new year to you, I hope you have a peaceful and fun year.

>216 Jackie_K: Oh oh Jackie, I thought you were keeping your acquisitions to a minimum. Have a great 2023. I'll see you in the ROOTs threads for the new year.

>217 Familyhistorian: I was trying to, but the latter part of the year - especially December - I fell off the wagon!